Stewart Downing vows to save West Ham gaffer Sam Allardyce

HAMMER HORROR: Allardyce is under pressure following West Ham's poor league performances [PA WIRE]

He is the only manager of one of the clubs at the bottom of the Premier League to survive the brutal cull of bosses in ­recent weeks, other than Ian ­Holloway – who walked away from Crystal Palace.

Fulham let Martin Jol go, Steve Clarke parted company with West Brom and Malky Mackay was given the bullet by Cardiff owner Vincent Tan in an eventful few weeks.

And ­Downing knows how it feels to be relegated, having ­suffered the agony of the drop at ­Middlesbrough.

What survival calls for is strong leadership and with the Hammers winless in seven games going into ­today’s match with Forest, Downing is urging West Ham’s co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan to keep the faith and back their man, as the club ­struggles to stay in the Premier League.

He believes Allardyce has been ­unlucky, with a pile of players out ­injured. And he reckons the tide will turn once the stars start to come back.

The former Liverpool star said: “I can understand Sam’s frustrations. He has been very unlucky.

“I am desperate to do well for him but I‘ve had two ­niggling injuries and other players have been the same.

“He can see the bigger ­picture and knows players are coming back. Once ­everyone is back he has a ­really good team.

“I’m sure the manager is also trying to bring a few ­new players in.

“The talk about his future goes on ­because all the ­other teams at the ­bottom have lost their managers and people think it’s time for Sam to go next.

“That talk goes around but we love playing for him. He’s a great manager.

“Kevin Nolan said, ‘If your team is struggling who do you go and get? You go and get a manager who is a motivator like Sam Allardyce’.

“The owners here know this. They see sense. They know they have a good ­manager and a decent team when the players are all fit and available.”

Downing is surprised Allardyce is the bookies’ favourite as the next boss for the axe and feels the players must also accept some responsibility.

He said: “The manager picks the team and it is up to us to get results, which is something we have not done.

“The easiest thing is to blame the ­manager but I think he does very well in taking a lot of pressure off the ­players.

“He is one of the sole reasons I came here. I wanted to play for a good manager like him. You can ask most of the team and they will say the same. I was relegated with Middlesbrough after a tough ­season but here at West Ham we know there’s still a long way to go.

SUPPORT: Downing is keen to help out Allardyce [GETTY]

“It’s been difficult for the manager to put a side out, so in that sense it was ­always going to be tough”

Stewart Downing

“We could get a couple of signings in this month and get everyone back fit.

“There’s a lot to play for and we still have to play a lot of the teams around us, so we are staying ­positive.

“It’s been difficult for the manager to put a side out, so in that sense it was ­always going to be tough.

“But we have played quite well and not killed teams off.

“Fulham was probably the biggest one on New Year’s Day. We had three or four chances when one-nil up but lost two-one. We didn’t see them off and that has been the story of our season.”

Downing is hoping further success in the FA Cup today and the Capital One Cup can re-energise his team.

After today’s match with Forest, the Hammers play the first leg of their ­Capital One Cup Semi-Final with ­Manchester City at The Etihad on Wednesday.

He said: “Winning any game breeds confidence. If young players get a chance they need to take it.

“It’s difficult to come into a team that’s not getting results but I see it as a chance in any game, league or cup.

“The league is the most ­important thing for us. We have two cup games coming up and the ­manager wants to win.

“I won the League Cup at Liverpool in a difficult first ­season there.

“We finished eighth in the league but I look back at the Carling Cup and think, ‘What a day that was’. You play football to win trophies. I think it’s a chance to get a good win.

“I think a few of us have been in this position before and it is easy to sulk, point fingers and blame people – but we have to go and get results.

“There are things going about in the press but behind closed doors we stay strong. We are playing for a really good ­manager who has been in this position before and when we get players back, we will kick on.

“No one wants a relegation on their CV. I have been through that before with my hometown team and it is difficult.

“But this team is a lot stronger, with a lot more experienced players and the main thing to remember is that injuries have killed us at times.

“One of the reasons I came here was to play with Andy Carroll.

“His strength is getting on the end of crosses and one of my strengths is crossing a ball.

“You can’t ­account for ­injuries, it is part and parcel of the game and he has been very unlucky with two injuries to his foot.”

Downing would love to make next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil but knows he needs to start putting in some dazzling displays to force his way into Three Lions boss Roy ­Hodgson’s plans.

He said: “I’d love to make it to Brazil but my main focus is to stay in the Premier League with West Ham.

“I haven’t been picked for England for a while but while there is a slim chance, I will try my best to make it happen.”